Why College Is Necessary

by

Dennis James

A recent episode of the television drama, Mad Men, revealed to viewers how its protagonist got his break in the industry. Don Draper, the eventual advertising agency partner, got his start when he met his future boss by happenstance, and persistently sent the man his portfolio despite having no formal education.

Today, the old trope of the young go-getter, armed only with his ambition and tenacity, is all but forgotten. Today, Don Drapers inquiry would be redirected to an HR department, where his college-less background would probably be scoffed at and ignored.

Today, individuals who achieve success or notoriety, despite skipping out on college, are regarded as members of a mythic and waning species. In Top Ten lists were often reminded that Bill Gates didnt finish college as though its possible for the average twenty-something to independently channel Gates-like potential. These lists inevitably include natural beauties, gifted artists or athletes, people with rich, established parents, and folks who came of age when Don Drapers path was still possible.

As recently as 1973, only 38% of office workers had some form of college education. Meaning that 62% of people who worked in offices got their jobs with just a high school education. Today, 69% of office workers have some college-level education, and 37% have a full bachelors degree or more.

In the 1970s fewer than half of all jobs in health care and education required some college preparation. Today, more than 3/4ths of these jobs require some college, and most of them more than 52% – require a bachelors degree, if not a graduate degree.

These statistics (all borrowed from an archived Anthony Carnevale article in Change magazine) beg the question: is there really more material for 21st century professionals to learn, or just an unnecessarily heightened expectation? Certainly, todays technologists are completing more complicated tasks than their predecessors. It stands to reason that 86% of current technology workers possess some college education, as opposed to 63% in 1973.

But what about professional requirements for teachers, counselors, physical therapists, and all those increasingly educated office workers? How many of todays job postings for administrative assistants demand bachelors degrees? Are managers with MBAs really more qualified than their less-educated counterparts? Are Ph.Ds really necessary for school principals?

A recent article in the Sacramento Bee explored the issue of doctorates for physical therapy students and nursing educators. Some experts argue that advanced degree requirements are a part of Americas ongoing degree inflation trend, while others assert that shifting professional demands legitimately require more education.

Regardless of the actual proficiencies acquired in college, the perception of higher eds necessity remains. And as is often the rule in business, perception is reality. Study after study shows that college still provides an economic and professional advantage for those who finish. Moreover, public opinion matters little to the state agencies and professional organizations that impose graduate degree requirements on their licensed employees. Like it or not, college is essential increasingly essential for most professional career paths.

So what do you think? Whether you’re a veteran professional or an aspiring one, take the following survey and weigh in on today’s education requirements. Are they necessary?

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